Ready for the Future of Logistics

"This industry has historically had technology challenges,” says Peter Lamy, President of American Worldwide Agencies in Long Beach, California. “Most operating systems are good at one of three things, or two at best: air, ocean, or accounting. You can’t normally find all three together. You end up with accountants developing software that is horrible for operations, or operators creating a system with no accounting.”

Having been in the industry since the early 90s, Lamy has experienced enough of the ins and outs of freight forwarding to know this challenge is true. Prior to AWA, he ran a wholesale forwarding company for twenty years. “We were a CargoWise customer there,” he recalls, “but because our operations were so heavily domestic, we tried some other software programs. But we always bounced back to WiseTech Global’s products. Having a single, integrated system is just a godsend.”

In 2012, when Lamy and a couple of colleagues decided to branch out on their own, the company’s logistics solution of choice was clear. “It was a no-brainer to go with WiseTech Global’s system,” Lamy states. “The time between deciding to launch AWA and actually launching AWA was fourteen days. We were able to be up and running so quickly because of this system.”

Peter Lamy is well aware that cloud-based technology is a primary factor contributing to the system’s speed of implementation and straightforward maintenance. “We no longer need servers in-house. My IT departments were always telling me about the work they had to do to keep up, how it was too much to manage efficiently. So when we went to the cloud, we wound up with a lot less problems. We don’t have to worry about system backup, we have less downtime, and we don’t have to reinvest in new hardware every year.”

AWA’s choice of technology has enabled its rapid growth since launch, Lamy points out. In the few short years since it began, the company has opened seven offices across the USA as well as sites in Guam, Sydney, London, and the Philippines, with no plans for slowing down. “Because of CargoWise One, all our offices are working in real-time with us, no servers required. We can get offices up and running within hours. All we need is an internet connection in place. We just move in, plug in, click the icon, and away we go. The system keeps everything streamlined: accounting, documentation, data transfer back and forth between agents. It’s extremely simple.

“CargoWise One’s international capabilities are a huge selling point for us as we expand into other markets,” Lamy continues. “I’m a big advocate of CargoWise One to our agents, and many of them have made the switch. It’s an excellent benefit for everyone to be on the same system as we’re all expanding into other markets. The more agents using CargoWise One, the more seamless our whole industry becomes.”

The size of a business should not be a consideration when a company wants to enter into the seamless industry Peter Lamy envisions. According to him, “AWA is a small forwarder who’s grown into a much larger operation very quickly because our technology platform has everything any size forwarder needs. We’re focusing on customer communications more now than ever before. We’re ticking every milestone and alerting the customer to what’s happening with their freight. With CargoWise One, we can be more proactive. We can modify it to exactly what the customer wants.

“What I’ve found with CargoWise One,” he says, “is that if you think the system doesn’t do something, it’s because you haven’t found the function yet. It really does everything you want. It has everything. You just have to access it.”

When asked how he sees the logistics industry’s future, Peter Lamy’s vision and the direction he intends AWA to take are clear. “Forwarders are going to have to become a lot more like carriers. There will be fewer steps in what happens for a shipment and in what we do. The industry will be streamlined - and AWA will be ready for any part of that new industry.

“CargoWise One allows us to do everything we need now, and gives us the potential to easily expand into new areas. Without a doubt, we can handle any aspect of our industry when we’re running CargoWise One.”

American Worldwide Agencies Offers Customers:

A wide network of facilities, hubs, and drop-off points

Intuitive online tools enabling direct scheduling and updates

Reliable, experienced network of global partners and agents

Client-first mentality reflected in trust, fairness, and commitment to service